Reflux.
It’s that time in the middle of the night when the darkness is very dark and the stillness very still. But it is neither dark nor still in our little corner of the house.
The baby cries.
We’ve tried rocking, and patting, and feeding. We’ve sat up, laid down, and walked around. I’ve talked to him, sung to him and whispered sweet nothings in his ear. All to no avail. He is exhausted, uncomfortable, upset and in pain.
He cries.
I lie next to him. His big blue eyes look at me. They are sad and seem to be pleading with me… ‘please make this stop’. If only I could make it stop. It breaks my heart.
****
It’s reflux that is causing my seven week old baby to have bags under his eyes almost as big as mine, I’m sure of it.
I’ve been here before…. a long time ago. I’d almost forgotten those first few months of hell when the girls came home from hospital. I’d almost blocked out of my mind the crying, the refusing to feed, the blood tinged vomit, the lack of weight gain, the hospital visits, the medication. Almost.
This time around I am not going to wait. I am not going to listen when someone tells me it is ‘normal’, that it is colic, or that I’ve just got ‘a cranky baby’. No, this time I am not waiting for things to get really bad. This time I am wiser, and stronger.
It feels wrong though.
This tiny being with the wise eyes has never eaten anything that was not made by my body since the moment he was conceived. It feels wrong to be doing this, it breaks my heart a little bit more, but I am strong, I know we have to try.
****
Tonight the look in his eyes is not a cry for help it is a look of betrayal.
I squirt vile tasting medication into his cheek in the vain hope he will swallow some of it. I hold him close and rock him, telling him I am sorry and promising it will make him feel better and hoping I am not a liar. He doesn’t look convinced.
He cries.
We go back to the familiar rocking, walking and patting. A nappy slung over my shoulder, though somehow it never manages to catch all the baby vomit and I have streaks of white down my back and we both smell sour. After a little while he sleeps. I wrap him tight and tentatively lay him down next to me, wondering how long the peace will last. I lay there looking at him, running through my head is a jumbled mix of memories, breaking hearts and love.
At some point I fall asleep, and I wake with a jolt as I him hear stir. I look up at the clock.
Can it really be 5 am? Can we really have slept for 6 hours? Can the medication really have worked?
****
There is still projectile vomiting at the most inopportune times, in the most embarrassing places. I still have odd white stains down my back and I still smell sour most of the time. There are still times when he is uncomfortable. He still wakes, crying out in pain, on occasion. I am still betraying him each night as I try new and ever more ridiculous ways to get him to swallow and not spit the medication back in my face.
But things are better.
His eyes still say he is disgusted but I am sure I also see relief… at least that is what I tell myself so I can go on fighting this beast called reflux.
Poor him and poor you. Crossing fingers you get some sleep tonight.
Reflux really is a beast, isn’t it?
Oh man that tugged at the heartstrings! In the absence of a magic wand to banish the reflux, I am glad there’s medication for your darling boy. As an adult, knowing what it is, reflux can make you wanna cry, poor bubba having no idea what’s wrong :(
Oh Kate :(
No one would listen to us about Erin’s reflux either. We really had to push.
((hugs)) – reflux sounds so dreadful, I am so glad he (and you) is getting some relief!
Awww poor bubs. I totally went the zantac with Finn as a bubba. You gotta do what you gotta do. Hope the medicine does help.
I remember this. I remember trying to get 15mL!!! of medicine into a wiggling little newborn and Daddy having to tuck her under his arm and squirt it in. But I also remember the magic when the screaming stopped. I hope you have that magic too.
Oh no, hope he grows out of it quickly. *hugs*
LOL, this post needs a trigger warning *tears*.
I’ve only had post natal depression once, and it was pretty bad. Not coincidently, I’ve only had one child with painful reflux – and it was pretty bad! Luey’s started in his first week of life, and I waited until he was 5 weeks old before getting help, by then he was screaming for 8 hours a day more than the average baby (who cries for about 3 hours a day at that age, apparently) – from 1 month of age he also had colic for three hours ever night – and would only sleep upright on my chest only only for 20 minutes at a time. He was 9 weeks old before he smiled for the first time (my head is full of numbers from that time). So, my heart breaks when I read about babies with reflux and mamas of babies with reflux.
Yes, it’s not natural for wee babies to drink other than breastmilk. It’s also not natural for them have blood in their semi-digested milk :(… I’m very greatful for medicine when it comes to reflux, I’m greatful Lukas could be relieved of some pain at an age where he couldn’t conceive of why the pain was happening.
I hope N continues to feel better!
Found the edit button for my first post :)
Aww kate (hugs) This does bring back memories for me too. I too hope Noah continues to feel better, reflux really sucks !
Oh, yuck. I have memories of reflux too, with my daughter. Thinking of you.
oh darl. Dreadful. And you can’t even have a big enormous glass of red wine. Feeling for you xxx
Hugs to you and gorgeous Quatro. A trick for medicine with babies – put the teat from a bottle (if you have one) in the baby’s mouth and squirt the medicine into the open end of the teat. All going well he’ll keep sucking on the teat and swallow it!
Have you considered babywearing? It is a really useful tool to have, I suggest using a stretchy wrap
More info here: http://www.baby-carriers-downunder.com/2009/10/19/newborn-wrapping-is-an-art-form/
So sorry to hear about the reflux. I have always been so grateful that none of my little ones suffered with reflux. I hope it gets better.